50 Contributions to tlw 



ed his call to the lure in the evening, when they were put up for 

 the night, throughout which, however, they were occasionally at 

 large. As food, they preferred rats to fish. When not very hun- 

 gry, they, after tasting the blackbird (Turdus merula), showed a dis- 

 like to it, but that this did not arise from colour was further evi- 

 dent from black chickens being always as acceptable as others ; gray 

 crows (Corvus cornix) were also disliked, though magpies (Corvus 

 pica) were favourite food.* On one occasion during rainy weather, 

 they refused to eat for a few days, though at the same time they 

 never retired to the shelter of their sheds, as buzzards (Buteo vul- 

 garis), and peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus), did which were kept 

 along with them. One of these, a male, killed four pet birds, his con- 

 stant companions in the same enclosure, t and which when he was 

 tied. | either alighted near him, or were carelessly fastened within his 

 reach ; these were a white owl (which he devoured), a kite, a buz- 

 zard, and a peregrine falcon. This last bird, the eagle had partly 

 plucked preparatory to eating, just as my friend appeared in view, 

 when he instantly sprang from the falcon, the consciousness of his 

 misdeed being further evinced, by his allowing it to be carried off, 

 though any food given in the ordinary manner he would not permit 

 to be removed. After having one of these birds about two, and the 

 other four and a half years, they were both lost by flying to a dis- 

 tance, where they were shot. The latter assumed the white tail 

 early in October 1836, then four and a half years old : it proved a 

 male bird on dissection, and weighed 11 lbs. 



Osprey — Pandion haliccetus. Savigny. — The only occasion upon 

 which Ihave seen the osprey in Ireland was when sailing on the lower 

 lake of Killarney, on the 13th of July 1834, during which a single 

 bird appeared for a short time in view, displayed its mode of fishing, 

 and struck at some prey on the surface of the water. 



* The peregrine falcon also shows distaste and partiality to birds nearly al- 

 lied; thus the blackbird is disliked, whilst thrushes (Turdus musicus) are favou- 

 rite food, and, though it will kill and eat the landrail (Crex pratensis) when hun- 

 gry, it is averse to it, and has in some instances been observed to eject it from 

 the stomach. 



f Lieutenant Reynolds, once in Achil saw a pair of old sea-eagles attack a 

 young bird of their own species, which they killed and eat, leaving only the bill 

 and legs. 



t When the Golden Eagle, Sea Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Kite, Buzzard, and 

 Kestrel, all cf which Mr Langtry had at the same time, were at liberty, they never 

 molested each other. 



